Gabon is a country located in Central Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east, and Equatorial Guinea to the south. The capital and largest city is Libreville.

Gabon has a population of around 2.2 million people and a land area of 267,667 square kilometers. The country has a diverse range of ethnic groups and languages, with the Fang being the largest group. French is the official language, and many Gabonese also speak local languages such as Fang, Myene, and Bateke.

Gabon's economy is heavily dependent on its oil reserves, which make up over half of its GDP and 80% of its exports. The country is also a major producer of manganese, timber, and other natural resources. Gabon has made efforts to diversify its economy by promoting agriculture, tourism, and other sectors, but progress has been slow.

Gabon has a rich biodiversity, with large areas of tropical rainforest and a variety of wildlife, including gorillas, elephants, and chimpanzees. The country has set aside over 10% of its land as protected areas, including 13 national parks and other conservation areas.

Gabon is known for its political stability and relative prosperity compared to many other countries in the region. The country has been ruled by the same political party since its independence from France in 1960, and the current president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, has been in power since 2009. However, the government has faced criticism for corruption and human rights abuses, particularly in relation to the treatment of political opposition and journalists.

Telephone Code
241

Local Emergency Phone
Ambulance: 1300-1399; Fire: 18; Police: 1730

Vaccinations
An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required for all travelers. See WHO recommendations.

Climate
Tropical; always hot, humid

Currency (Code)
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Central francs (Central African CFA franc, XAF)

Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s)
220 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): C

Major Languages
French, Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

Major Religions
Roman Catholic 42.3%, Protestant 12.3%, other Christian 27.4%, Muslim 9.8%, animist 0.6%

Potable Water
Opt for bottled water

International Driving Permit
Suggested

Road Driving Side
Right

Tourist Destinations
Libreville; Loango National Park; Fernan Vaz Lagoon; Ivindo National Park (includes Kongou Falls)

Major Sports
Soccer, basketball

Cultural Practices
Personal space is not considered necessary in Gabon, where it is common for conversations to occur at very close distances.

Tipping Guidelines
Tips are not expected in hotels and restaurants, except at upscale locales frequented by foreigners. Tip drivers and guides 10%.

Souvenirs
Stone carvings, ceremonial masks, pottery, drums, precious and semi-precious gemstones; beaded or brass, copper, or silver pendant necklaces

Traditional Cuisine
Poulet Nyembwe — chicken in palm butter sauce

Geography
Area
total: 267,667 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km
water: 10,000 sq km

Climate
tropical; always hot, humid

Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

People and Society
Population
2,397,368 (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups
Gabonese-born 80.1% (includes Fang 23.2%, Shira-Punu/Vili 18.9%, Nzabi-Duma 11.3%, Mbede-Teke 6.9%, Myene 5%, Kota-Kele 4.9%, Okande-Tsogo 2.1%, Pygmy 0.3%, other 7.5%), Cameroonian 4.6%, Malian 2.4%, Beninese 2.1%, acquired Gabonese nationality 1.6%, Togolese 1.6%, Senegalese 1.1%, Congolese (Brazzaville) 1%, other 5.5% (includes Congolese (Kinshasa), Equatorial Guinean, Nigerian) (2012 est.)

Languages
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

Religions
Roman Catholic 42.3%, Protestant 12.3%, other Christian 27.4%, Muslim 9.8%, animist 0.6%, other 0.5%, none/no answer 7.1% (2012 est.)

Population growth rate
2.39% (2023 est.)

Government
Government type
presidential republic

Capital
name: Libreville

Economy
Economic overview
natural resource-rich, upper-middle-income, Central African economy; sparsely populated but high urbanization; young labor force; oil, manganese, and rubber exporter; foreign investment dependent; data integrity issue on poverty and income

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$32.34 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$13,800 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products
plantains, cassava, sugar cane, yams, taro, vegetables, maize, groundnuts, game meat, rubber

Industries
petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement

Exports
$10.8 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners
China 63%, Singapore 5% (2019)

Exports - commodities
crude petroleum, manganese, lumber, veneer sheeting, refined petroleum (2019)

Imports
$5.02 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners
France 22%, China 17%, Belgium 6%, United States 6%, United Arab Emirates 5% (2019)

Imports - commodities
poultry meats, excavation machinery, packaged medicines, cars, rice (2019)